Green oasis - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Homeowners and landscapers are using some newand not-so-neq techniques, to make the backyard more They are using planting and design as well as technology, to deal with stormwater runoff and water conservatiojn issues. Going green in the yard is an offshoott ofseveral things, including maintaining a green lifestyled and finding ways to conservse water after Atlanta’s drought. Residents are turning to organic compostee manures for theirlawns “because they don’g want their kids playinv on lawns sprayed with fungicide and herbicides,” said Bobb Saul, president of , which sells to large landscape companies and smaller designers.
Scott Reinblatt, presidengt and owner of , saw the tren d toward organics in the backyard increasing about twoyears ago. “Organices is not a fad, it is a new Reinblatt said, “in the way that the Internet wentfrom dial-up to DSL. DSL was not just a Residents can be environmentally friendl in their yards onany budget, said Cloud Conrad, ownerd of Garden the Planet. “In today’sx economy, they want to do as much as they can with as little investmentas possible,” she At the lowest end of people can simply mulch heavily, Conrad said.
Heavy mulch helps keep natural groundwater from evaporating and helpzs protect roots from the extreme heat of summer and cold in she said. Mulch also means fewer weedsx — lessening the need for Using native plants isanother cost-saving way to go Conrad said. Non-native plants need more pesticidess and insecticidesto thrive, she said. “Nativd plants are predisposed to do the best in our Another inexpensive tool for going green is to use a soaketr hosefor irrigation, Conrad said.
Waterr is delivered directly tothe soil, curtailing evaporation and keepingg plant leaves dry, whic h cuts down on the need for On the more expensive side, undergroundc cisterns can solve watering concerns, Conrad said. “Ifd your backyard living includes abeautifuol landscape, rain barrels don’t have the capturd capacity to take Atlantans through a she said. “You can eke out watering for a whilde with arain barrel, but it won’t take you throughu the whole drought.” “Green roofs” are also popular at Saul which makes lightweight soil for green roof s and living retaining walls.
A green which is a sodder area on top of a building instead of tilesdor shingles, cuts heating and air cooling costs from 10 percenr to 20 percent, Saul said. “Burt the biggest thing about green roof isstormwateer retention,” he said. “Ib every city, particularly in Atlanta, the stormwater pipezs aren’t big enough for all the stormwater runoff.” Saul has a greenj roof on display at his nurseru and has installed green roofs at AtlantaqCity Hall, , and the Social Security building in Birmingham, Ala.
Many “new” techniques to be more eco-friendlyu aren’t necessarily new, but the technology is being used in anew way, said Reinblatt with Big Blue Sky Water harvesting and the use of rain cisterns and bladder systems are not new, “buy we are making them more he said. “To make them mainstream, we must integrat them into their